Fine art fair to debut this spring

St. James-Assiniboia

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This article was published 14/02/2024 (652 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

To Jo Smoley, art is a never-ending road to constant improvement.

The East St. Paul-based illustrator has been creative all her life, she said, but got back into the craft following her retirement. An avid hiker, she attempts to recreate the intimate moments experienced between her own person and the natural world.

“I really feel how alive they are,” she said. “And there’s hundreds of ecosystems, all working together, everywhere you turn in the forest, and it’s just humming with life and activity. They’re surviving … And I think what I’m trying to bring into my artwork is (their) voice.”

Since getting back into the art scene, Smoley’s art has been displayed in several local galleries, including Warehouse Artworks and cre8ery, and outside the country — throughout the U.S. and overseas.

This year, though, she will be one of almost 70 local artists taking part in the Winnipeg Fine Art Fair in April.

This will be the fair’s big debut. The organizing board — which was formed less than a year ago, in April 2023 — has gathered a strong collection of artists working in all kinds of media, from metals to fibre, for the convention-style get together at Red River Exhibition Park.

“I think people can expect to be immersed in the creativity and passion of Manitoba artists, and all their levels and accomplishments,” said board chair Elowen Braunstein-Black. “We have artists where this will be their very first show, and some who are very experienced. And we’ve worked hard to try to capture all different types of mediums, as well. So I think (people) can be pleasantly surprised by all the different definitions of art that they can find in their community.”

Braunstein-Black, 31, has been working with fibre for three years. She originally intended to make a couple of Christmas decorations, she said, and quickly got carried away.

Artists participating in the fine art fair, such as Braunstein-Black and Smoley, had to register for a booth last year, and have been working since on new, exclusive work to display and sell at the event. Each artist was selected by a jury, and the board is comprised entirely of participating artists.

Highlighting the local scene and the hard work that goes into every piece is exciting, Braunstein-Black said.

“So often people forget about all the small time artists who are working hard to create something original, and you really get a taste of their souls when they make art,” she said. “And it’s something really special that you could potentially take home with you.”

“The variety and the inspiration that I’m going to take away from this is, you know, just gonna blow my mind. It’s all mediums, from carving and clay and metal work. There’s painters, there’s glass workers, there’s jewelry makers, everything has to be completely made by the artists,” Smoley said.

The WFAF is non-profit and volunteer-operated. Volunteer applications are being accepted and encouraged.

Organizations interested in sponsoring the event can reach out to info@winnipegfineartfair.com

Tickets are also available for purchase now, and can be found online at www.winnipegfineartfair.com